Emmanuel Macron wants to put everything back together. The French president announced, on Wednesday July 13, his desire to “rethink by autumn the whole [des dispositifs militaires de la France] on the African continent”while the Barkhane anti-jihadist force is completing its departure from Mali.
saying they want “less posed and less exposed devices”the President ruled that it was a “strategic necessity”. He mentioned in a speech to the Ministry of the Armed Forces his desire to “succeed in building a stronger intimacy with African armies over the long term, rebuilding a capacity to train, here and there”.
New Military Programming Law
The President has also instructed the Ministry of the Armed Forces to draw up a new Military Programming Law (LPM) for the period 2024-2030 in order to adapt budgetary efforts to the new strategic context marked by the return of war to the gates of France. ‘Europe. “Our operational ambition for 2030 must be reviewed in view of the possible return of a high intensity confrontation.”
To meet the needs of the Nation, we are going to have to invest faster and stronger in our defense and change the paradigm. I assured our armies of this this evening. pic.twitter.com/fLKqgcWKzS
—Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 13, 2022
France, a former colonial power in part of the countries of the continent, maintains a strong military presence there. In addition to its commitment to the anti-jihadist fight in the Sahel, which is undergoing restructuring, it has elements deployed in Senegal, Gabon and Djibouti. President Macron also spoke of the need for a “continuum between our diplomatic offer, our renewed actions for the African partnership, our development actions” in Africa.
Yesterday key partner of Bamako, France is now persona non grata and is preparing to leave Mali in a few weeks. Paris had also announced on July 1, logically, the end of the Takuba task force in Mali, an aggregation of European special forces. In Niger, the French will maintain more than a thousand men and air capabilities to provide fire support and intelligence.